MACHINE GUN TACTICS. Machine guns are preferable to infantry whenever fire alone is sufficient for the purpose. Infantry is indispensable when both fire and movement are required. The machine gun delivers a very effective grazing fire up to 900 or 1,000 yards; its fire is effective upon important targets at ranges over 1,100 provided the range is accu rately estimated. The two chief uses of machine gtms are in flank fire and surprise fire. The sheaf of bullets is dense and deep, but narrow; its maximum effect will be obtained upon a target having a narrow front and considerable depth-- for example, a thin line taken in flank. • It should be the rule to employ machine pm fire in a direction parallel to the probable front of the enemy; that is to say, in flanking positions. The sweeping movements should be employed in firing frontally on a thin line, but its density then becomes insufficient and its effect iveness is small. The machine gun is easily concealed; it should be kept out of sight and neglect targets of little importance; it should deliver bursts of fire which will come as a surprise; in this manner it may gain important results.
Any commander who has a machine gun and who uses it only to reinforce his firing line makes use of only part of the power at his dis posal. He uses his machine gun to the best advantage in flanking positions, and he should select in advance several positions from which the machine On can be used under various con ditions, depending upon the probable course of the action.
In trench warfare machine guns are ordi narily grouped in platoons, detached from the company and posted in strong positions. If the i enemy is preparing for an attack he makes spe cial efforts to destroy the machine guns. For tify them strongly, screen them from view and echelon them in the direction of depth. Ma chine gun positions without overhead cover are to be invariably rejected, unless they have been concealed from the commencement of the oper ation of entrenching. Gun pits with strong overhead cover cannot be used, on account of their relief, unless they are screened by favor able conditions, such as being on a second slope, by woods, underbrush, etc. Positions of low relief and well concealed should he prepared instead and nearby shelters should he dug from which the men of the gun detachment can come quickly to the gun. The gun positions may he pits dug in the form of howitzer shell funnels, in front of the trench, and connected with the shelter by a tunnel. The number of these posi
tions should he increased and access provided to them by sheltered and concealed trenches, and firing frequently from positions which are to he used in repulsing attacks should he avoided. All of the machine guns should not he exposed at one time to the danger of being destroyed by placing them all in the first line.
It is best to echelon them beforehand and dis tribute the greater part of them between the hie of supports and the knes of reserves, in order that they may be able to crush an enemy who has penetrated the first-line trench at the conclusion of a •bombardment or of an attack with asphyxiating gas.
In no case should a machine gun detachment abandon its post; if need be it will permit itself to he besieged there and will defend itself to the last. The tenacity and heroism of a few ma chine gun men has often enabled the retaking of lost positions. To make it possible for them to do this, place the machine gun in a small earthwork, surrounded by well-hidden wire en tanglements, and provided with several firing positions and furnished with food and water and an abundance of ammunition.
In manceuver warfare the machine gun com pany often fights as a unit and is frequently placed near the head of the column behind the security detachments in order to support the infantry at the beginning of the action. When it has no special independent mission the ma chine gun company should be placed at first under the orders of a battalion commander, who may assign one or more platoons of it to companies. In manceuver warfare machine guns are used in pits without head cover. On the offensive machine guns deploy with the advance guard and cover the deployment of the main body; they reinforce lines temporarily halted; and gain time for a preparation for continuing the advance; they assist in the artil lery preparation with rapid and concentrated fire, and take the place of artillery in a very rapid pursuit or ?ti completing a victory; they advance on the flank of a body of troops in an attack, and cover their flank from the counter attack which will probably be made against it; and they cover with fire intervals which have been left intentionally or accidentally between two units of the attacking line. On the defen sive they provide along the front several suc cessive barriers of flanking fire, which can be opened instantly by day or by night.